Beta release of VLC player for Windows Phone coming soon

Beta release of VLC player for Windows Phone coming soon

VLC for Windows 8

Thomas Nigro, a developer working on the VLC player for Windows Phone, has revealed that the popular multimedia application will be released for the mobile operating system soon.

Through Twitter, Thomas has said that he has been busy working on developing a functional version of VLC beta for Windows Phone which would be released to testers as early as August. In one of the tweets from the same thread, Thomas has revealed that a private beta will be initiated in first week of August, followed by a wider release in September.

Google releases 64-bit Chrome beta for Windows 7 and 8

Google releases 64-bit Chrome beta for Windows 7 and 8

It's been a couple of months since Google announced a 64-bit version of its Chrome browser, although it was released only in Canary and Developer editions. As with any early release of new software, installing it would have meant potentially dealing with the bugs and glitches still waiting to be fixed.

Windows users keen to try out the 64-bit browser may be interested to learn that Google has now released a more stable build, although it still remains in beta for now. It supports both Windows 7 and 8.x, and if you're upgrading from one of the earlier versions, the beta will replace the Developer or Canary build, while still keeping your settings and bookmarks.

As Engadget notes, the 64-bit version is intended to make better use of your system's resources to offer a richer, faster and more secure web experience. It's taken just eight weeks to get from the earliest release to the beta, so the odds are good that the full and final version isn't too far away - good news if you're still hesitant about installing a pre-release version on your system.

Full details of the latest additions and improvements in the beta are available in the SVN log. 

Microsoft adds new themes for Windows 8.1, including vistas you won't hate

Microsoft adds new themes for Windows 8.1, including vistas you won't hate

Microsoft has released a range of new themes, and while they're designed for Windows 8 and 8.1, there are also new wallpapers available that can be used on any PC.

The latest theme pack was actually announced before the weekend, but we know that many of you enjoy customizing the appearance of your PCs as much as we do, so we thought we'd let you know about it - even if it is a few days late!

The first theme, Panoramas of Europe is well-named, as the theme pack includes 21 double-width images, showcasing some stunning views from across the continent.

For a different view of the continent, the Bing Maps: Europe theme includes some striking aerial views taken over countries including the UK, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, among others. The Bing Maps: US theme offers a similar perspective on some parts of the United States, including a glacier in Alaska, a volcano in New Mexico and the Florida Everglades.


There's also a second panoramic theme on offer called Rock Formations, featuring thirteen dual-monitor photos from around the planet, such as Giant's Causeway in Ireland, sandstone arches in Utah and limestone formations in Western Australia.

A range of others themes is also available for Windows 8 and 8.1, based on photography submissions as part of Microsoft's Open Call program, which invites contributors to submit their photos to be shared with Windows users around the world. You can see the full list of available themes over on Blogging Windows.

Surface Pro 3 landing in 25 more markets on Aug. 28

Surface Pro 3 landing in 25 more markets on Aug. 28

There is good news for those who have been waiting for Microsoft to spread the Surface Pro 3 love to more than just the United States, Japan and Canada. Microsoft today announced that starting from August 28th an additional 25 more markets will see the laptop/tablet arrive for purchase.

The Surface Pro 3 will be available in: Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

As expected, pre-order information for those newly supported countries begun back in May, with the UK pricing ranging from £639 for the basic 64GB/Intel i3/4GB RAM version up to £1649 for the top-end 512GB/Intel i7/8GB RAM version.

The upcoming Surface Pro 3 Docking Station which is due for release in America on August 15 is set to his other countries towards the end of September.

You can check out Neowin’s in-depth review of the Surface Pro 3 now in case you are on the fence over whether to pre-order or not.

New images of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 surface

New images of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 surface

it is no secret Samsung's new Galaxy Note 4 will be a beast: It is expected to have a 5.7" Quad HD display along with a Snapdragon 805 processor clocked at 2.5 GHz (though it will be replaced by Samsung's own Exynos 5430 chipset in some markets), 3 GB of RAM and a 16 MP rear camera with OIS, along with a 4 MP front-facing camera. What's more, it will be powered by the Adreno 420 GPU which will offer a noticeable difference in some tasks compared to the Adreno 330.

Regarding its release, Samsung recently scheduled an event for September 3 and it is highly probable that the Galaxy Note 4 will make its debut during IFA in Berlin; the press invites for the event were sent earlier this month.

Until now, the details known about the handset were the specifications and the announcement date. Thanks to an anonymous user at gsmarena, some (sort of) high quality images of the upcoming Galaxy Note have been leaked.

Although the back of the device seems to be made of plastic like its predecessor, the main upgrade here is a metal frame surrounding the device. This kind of frame installment was expected to come with the Galaxy Alpha and it seems like Samsung decided to utilize this on a different model as well. Apart from the frame, an USB 3.0 port can be clearly seen on the bottom; heart monitoring feature is also said to be included.